Gary - my hat is definitely off to you and your associates on here who have mastered the art of using this wonderful technology to great musical advantage! I am learning and I aspire to be as you guys are - able and adept at using the arrangers to satisfy the audiences. Technology has come so far and anyone who doesn't want to acknowledge its validity today needs to step back and ask themselves "why not".

I work in an office with air force pilots (active duty). There are a few contractors on my team (ex aviators) who are constantly telling the young guys "you young pups aren't pilots like we were...we flew "a man's airplane" and they say today's pilots are flying a computer game. This analogy can be applied to what is happening with keyboards as well. If someone comes up to me on a gig w/my arranger (as I know they will) and they tell me "that thing just about plays itself"...I will remind them that next time they get on an airliner that the pilot is probably sleeping or reading the paper for most of the flight and that, sure, the arranger has an "autopilot"...but in the wrong hands, it will definitely "crash and burn". I am aspiring to learn (as you guys have) to take a musical journey with the arranger without 'crashing the party'... I'm still not quite ready to "solo", but getting there! HA HA
Randy

[This message has been edited by saxxman (edited 11-19-2005).]